Any Gran Bahia Principe Runaway Bay Brides out there?

[mekanabr]

@jennypenny23- 49 guests!! thats awesome!! I can't wait to send out our STDs and see what kind of initial response we get. Did you send out your formal invites yet, or just STDs?

 

@AshleyL- love the favor ideas, might have to steal that

 

I love hearing everyones ideas!! When is everyone doing their AHR? Right after the wedding or a little later on? We're still trying to figure out how to do it. Are you ladies sending out info about it with your invitations, or sending out seperate invites or it? We have the dillema of having super conservative family members on my FI's side of the fam, meanwhile my family likes a good beer and a fun time... So we are thinking that we might have to do a brunch with one side and then a fun BBQ for the other side of the family and friends...unless anyone has any ideas? Trying to figure out the AHR reception has been more stressful than planning the real wedding! lol.

[akua420]

I'm getting married in February, and I'm having my AHR in July. But my sister is a teacher, so thats the reason I picked July so she could come, and since she's not going to be in Jamaica I told her she has no choice about the Canadian reception!

 

I'm going to put on the invites that there is an AHR with details to follow, cuz I'm not sending my wedding invitations for Jamaica to everyone, only the people I really want to come. I'll send the AHR to the ppl I'm obligated to invite.

That is a good ideas to split it up. My and my FI's families are the partying type, so we're going to have a BBQ at theh ouse for the close famiy/friends, then we are renting a hall and going to have the party/drinks there.

 

I agree though, the AHR is way more of a pain in the ass. I need to worry about food, renting a hall, doing out second invitations.... all that fun stuff. I don't even want to have one but my mom is so excited about it that I can't take that away from her. both my sisters are married and they wouldn't let her get involved at all, so I'm trying to give my mom her 'dream wedding' hahaha.

 

I have no idea what I'm going to do as favors though, I dont know if I'm going to do a wedding cake. Since there are so few people coming to my Jamaican wedding I have a feeling the AHR is going to turn into a more formal weddingy thing then my actual wedding! I'm definately going to wear my dress though, so at least I'll get two wears out of it.

[katelynn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mekanabr Hi ladies! I just received wedding package info from Beverly today, YAY! It's very exciting finally getting something about the wedding!!! Thought I'd share the info with all of you, in case you are interested!

thanks for adding this way back when...I was looking for it everywhere on my comp today and couldnt find it, I also knew one of you lovely ladies would have it!

[soontobemrsdow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tris Anyone have any great "couples kiss" games? One of my favorites I've seen on the board is a martini shaker in the middle of the table and the guest takes a shot and the bride & groom kiss. I was thinking of doing something similar up at the mic having shooters ready to go, and they have to come up and tell a funny story about us and do the shot. We've been together for over 8 years now so there are SOOO many hilarious stories. Is that too complicated? Just an idea now.

I love your idea about the stories...it would be such a great laugh I'm sure!

I have a thing I'd like to do...it's not a kissing game but something to pass the time before dinner or after or something that i think is cute.

the bride & groom take off their shoes and they each get a grooms shoes and a brides shoe. It's like newly wed game. You put two chairs back to back so the bride and groom cant see each other then assign someone to ask questions like, "who is messier the bride or the groom?" then they hold up whosever shoe they think is the messiest.

maybe you could find a way of doing something like that too if you like that idea!

oh and kerrij thanks so much for the response! $400 is pretty reasonable for a steel drum band and the gazebo...but yikes on the $20 for booze, maybe if it was an all night thing but for 2 hours...hopefully we can just buy some bottles or something because that's pretty pricey, but i guess it would be worth it!

[AshleyL]

We are getting married in February and planning the reception for May. We are just renting a hall, with drinks and dancing. We will probably do a bunch of snack food but not a full out dinner. It's going to be later in the evening so that should be ok. We are renting the hall for the whole weekend and planning on camping out there. Sunday morning we want to do a pancake breakfast for everyone. Very casual but I am definitely wearing my dress again!

[missy&eric2011]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mekanabr @jennypenny23- 49 guests!! thats awesome!! I can't wait to send out our STDs and see what kind of initial response we get. Did you send out your formal invites yet, or just STDs? @AshleyL- love the favor ideas, might have to steal that I love hearing everyones ideas!! When is everyone doing their AHR? Right after the wedding or a little later on? We're still trying to figure out how to do it. Are you ladies sending out info about it with your invitations, or sending out seperate invites or it? We have the dillema of having super conservative family members on my FI's side of the fam, meanwhile my family likes a good beer and a fun time... So we are thinking that we might have to do a brunch with one side and then a fun BBQ for the other side of the family and friends...unless anyone has any ideas? Trying to figure out the AHR reception has been more stressful than planning the real wedding! lol.

We are getting married May 7th and our AHR is June 18. We wanted to leave time to get over our post-Jamaica mourning as well as allow time to finish up any last minute changes/details. Also, our photographers who are coming with us to Jamaica are creating a photomontage presentation to show between dinner and dancing. There will be a lot of people who won't be able to make it to Jamaica and we thought it would be a nice touch to combine our Jamaica ceremony/TTD pics in with pictures from our childhoods and stuff.

We are doing two seperate invites as we aren't inviting everyone to Jamaica either. I think I am still going to put the STDs for the AHR in with the Jamaica invites though...haven't totally decided. I know it goes against "etiquette" to send them out this early...but I really don't give a damn...i have a list of things to do and that is what I am doing...to hell with the timeline!

We are doing one big reception too. My FI's family is reserved and my family...well, they are anything but reserved...but I am choosing to ignore that fact...I figure this way at least only half the people there will be racking up the bar bill!

For favors at the AHR, we are doing plantable ones. I found them on the David's Bridal website...have since found them cheaper on theknot.com but they don't have the shell that David's does. It is a shell that is biodegradable; you plant the whole thing and it has seeds inside. It has a personalized card attached with raffia in the color of your choosing. Thought it was something unique and fairly reasonable priced...especially when they run their specials!


Blooming Expressions Favor-Shell - David's Bridal

[soontobemrsdow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by missy&eric2011 For favors at the AHR, we are doing plantable ones. I found them on the David's Bridal website...have since found them cheaper on theknot.com but they don't have the shell that David's does. It is a shell that is biodegradable; you plant the whole thing and it has seeds inside. It has a personalized card attached with raffia in the color of your choosing. Thought it was something unique and fairly reasonable priced...especially when they run their specials! Blooming Expressions Favor-Shell - David's Bridal

Those are the cutest favours ever!

[katelynn]

Hey Ladies,

 

I am in need of some advice. We met with a photographer that we really like but he seems really expensive. He quotes us $3799 + tax for him and his wife to go down (they are both photographers), the wedding day, 2 excursions, album, disc with all prints, and engagement session.

 

Just wondering what you are all paying...is this outragrous as its about 1/2 our budget

[tris]

$2400 for Sungold Associates. (in Jamaica)

2 photographers.

8 hours on the wedding day + TTD session the day after

DVD with all the pictures edited.

Online photo show.

 

.... so no prints, but that's not a big deal for me. It's easy to get done here.

[soontobemrsdow]

Quote:

Originally Posted by katelynn Hey Ladies, I am in need of some advice. We met with a photographer that we really like but he seems really expensive. He quotes us $3799 + tax for him and his wife to go down (they are both photographers), the wedding day, 2 excursions, album, disc with all prints, and engagement session. Just wondering what you are all paying...is this outragrous as its about 1/2 our budget

Hey Katelynn I'm actually meeting my photographers (theres 2 of them as well) in 2 weeks to discuss them coming down and what the costs will be to bring them. so once I talk to them I'll come back and let you know what they quoted us and we can compare and see if we're getting a good deal!